


so many ways to say I'm sorry

by krisherdown



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: Language Barrier, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-01
Updated: 2010-02-01
Packaged: 2017-12-11 11:59:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/798514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisherdown/pseuds/krisherdown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin does not deal well with his early exit from the Australian Open.</p>
            </blockquote>





	so many ways to say I'm sorry

**Author's Note:**

> By request for creepy_shetan , topic: first round losses at 2010 AO (Soderling to Granollers, Gasquet to Youzhny).

“How the hell could I have lost to that guy?” Robin mutters as soon as he’s off the court. He needs to get away from prying eyes and get to the locker room as fast as he can get away with. Bad enough, he lost to _that guy_ ; he doesn’t need to give the tabloids headlines in the process.  
   
He nods to the appropriate people, making grunting sounds that seem to be acceptable answers to whatever the questions are. When he finally gets clearance to enter the locker room, the door barely shuts when Robin tosses his kit along the floor, it skidding to a stop by a bench.  
   
There are others in the locker room, all afraid to actually say a word but eager to witness the train wreck. Robin shakes his head at the stupidity of these players, refusing to acknowledge anyone. He’s had his share of poor showings at the majors but this is the first since he became The Guy Who Beat Nadal at Roland Garros.   
   
Losing to Roger – even at three majors in a row - is perfectly understandable. Everyone loses to Roger.  
   
Losing to a no-name Spaniard is not understandable. It’s a flameout.  
   
Robin heads for a quick shower, ignoring the stares and the whispers. The water does nothing to calm him down at all. In fact, he’s ready to go off on someone who so much as says a word to, at, or about him in any way.  
   
Magnus knows at this point not to set foot in here. There will be a time when Robin will be able to think rationally but it’s not right now. After Robin has worn himself down and is able to sleep, Magnus will call with a quick message.  
   
In the meantime, Robin exits the shower, wrapping a towel around him as he stalks back to the locker. His back is turned to the crowd he imagines is still gawking as he digs out a change of clothes.  
   
“Hello Rob.” Robin shuts his eyes. He has no idea who would be stupid enough to talk to him now but he can narrow the moron as being of French descent and unable to read a room. Oh and way too chipper for his own good.  
   
“Leave me alone,” he growls out in a low guttural voice.  
   
“You lost?”  
   
That does not even need an answer and to give one seems to insult Robin’s intelligence. He focuses back on the locker without acknowledging the voice, hoping the silent treatment will give this guy a clue.  
   
“Sorry, I guess you did. If you want to talk…”  
   
“I want you to do whatever you have to do and leave me alone. How do you not understand this? Do I need to say it in French?”  
   
“ _Je suis désolé_.” Then after a pause and what sounds like pressing keys, the guy adds, “No, you wouldn’t understand that. Um, _Ledsen?_ ”  
   
In a different situation, Robin might have appreciated even the slight effort this guy made at learning a word in Swedish. Not today. Robin can sense the guy is standing behind him to his right so he quickly spins around and pushes the person toward the lockers at the other side of the aisle. The shorter man stumbles, narrowly avoiding Robin’s bag and grabs onto the bench to soften the landing to the floor. There’s a loud crack which makes Robin feel rather pleased to have broken what was likely this poor creature's Blackberry.  
   
Robin starts, “I’m sure you think it’s cute what you’re doing…” It’s at that point he realizes it is Richie, he was holding an electronic translator that’s now in two pieces on the floor, and Robin now feels even shittier than he did before. If there’s one player in the tournament who really, _really_ didn’t deserve that, it’s the one sitting on the floor right now.  
   
“I understand,” Richie says as he begins to stand up. “Didn’t mean to bother you. Of course if you lose two set lead that way, you’d be upset. Just thought you’d need help. But you want to be alone. I’ll let you do that.”  
   
Robin gets dressed as quickly as possible and leaves the locker room, not able to deal with Richie’s niceness. It’s all a blur from this point to when he reaches his hotel, not stopping until Magnus calls to chide him regarding his actions in the locker room (relayed to him by a guard, apparently). The call is too early, Robin still agitated, so they get into a war of words that will probably dissolve by the next morning.  
   
He knows that Richie basically got screwed out of last season so he’d have every reason to be as bitter as Robin is right now. He also can guess that Richie’s gotten his share of nasty comments thrown his way and that Robin’s words, unrelated to any of that, are now thrown in the mix.  
   
It seems like a cruel twist of fate that Robin turns on tennis to try to wind down and he sees Richie playing Youzhny. In the fifth set. Because Richie blew a two set lead.  
   
Robin grabs a book from his bag and rushes out of the hotel room, needing to get back to the grounds immediately. He knows, because karma is a bitch and Richie’s luck has been so horrible over the years, that this _will_ be a loss and Robin needs to correct his earlier behavior.  
   
Sure enough, by the time Robin arrives, Youzhny has won and appears very relieved to be able to survive another day as he exits the locker room. Robin explains to security that he forgot a racket inside and is catching an early flight tomorrow, or some story like that so he’s allowed inside.  
   
Richie has just gotten dressed, his hair still wet from the shower, when he freezes up upon spotting Robin. “What are you doing here? Did you need another round with your personal punching bag?” Robin has to admit he enjoys hearing some edge in the normally-friendly Frenchman’s voice.  
   
“I can be wrong.”  
   
Richie narrows his stare. “Okay, yes you can be wrong. You can also be a prick.” He looks down, noticing the book in Robin’s hand. “Midnight reading?”  
   
“No, er this is for you. I didn’t have time to replace the translator so…” He holds out his hand to give the item, a pocket-sized English-to-Swedish dictionary,  to Richie. “This will have to do for the moment.”  
   
“For the moment? What did you have in mind?”  
   
“I think we both deserve to get nice and plastered tonight. Blowing a two set lead? We’ve earned it.”  
   
Richie shakes his head. “No. Too tired for the bar scene. Besides, that’s exactly how I ruined last year.” Robin cringes, realizing that’s pretty much the truth, and assumes he’s going to be turned down. So he’s shocked when Richie continues, “How about the café two blocks from the grounds? This book will probably get better use there. At least I’ll know when you’re joking.”  
   
“ _Tack_ ,” and walks to the door.  
   
Richie flips through the book, rushing to catch up at the same time. When he finds the word, he smiles in appreciation, then mutters, “ _Parlez lentement_. I mean, please speak slowly. My fingers can’t turn the pages so fast.”  
   
“Did you really want to _talk_ to me?” Robin waits for Richie to catch up, trying to hide the smile that’s threatening to creep on his face.  
   
“No. But you’re going to be sorry for pushing me earlier.”  
   
“I am perfectly okay with that punishment.”  
   


**Author's Note:**

>  _Je suis désolé_ – “I’m sorry” in French  
>  _Ledsen – “_ Sorry” in Swedish  
>  _Tack_ – “Thank you” in Swedish  
>  _Parlez lentement – “_ Please speak slowly” in French.
> 
>  
> 
>  


End file.
